Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-01-15


over it. A dozen Men were seen, by the
slesr, TO run ont of the building, mount
their horses, which were fastened near by,
and ride off ut gallop.
Further on, q round-sho was sent at
some suspicious appearances, and plainly
saw it strike n large house. When our col
umn renched this place there was halt,
and was one of several who entered the
house to observe the effects of this shot.
They were melancholy TO behold. The
missile had crashed completely through
the building, Just under the second floor,
tearing off bushels of lath and plastering,
aud scattering them over the lcrg table
which had been set for dinner. One Of
the negroes told us that the family were
Just seated at the board when this ,inwel-
come IN assenger came, ard taat they all
fled in panic 3cfoss the bayou.
ii1 the middle of this afternoon 1t was
evident that we We're getting tpon danger
ous ground. tie advanced slowly, often
a line; We often halted, for cautious
"Reminiscences our gunbolts in the bayou
threw an occasional shell. Before sunset
we were advancing only in line, soaring up
queer flight of rabbits, rats, and snakes
before us. Never having been III action
though had been eighteen, months in the
service, and not. then md 'rstanding the
situation as did afterward, these move
nerte somewhat puzzled me, while 1t was
n very picturesque sight to see the brigade
which had the advance moving by several
regimental lines over the fields, banners
flying, and musket-l aireis shining. 1t
looked decidedly pretty, an | thought it
only needed the burst AMI swell of military
m,i sic TO make it very ike what is called
"the pomp and circumstance OF glorious
war" the sun was down, and twilight
had come on while this march i'll line was
proceed ng. All of a sudden there came
the roar of two cannon IN quick succession,
the balls flying high overho al; and at the
signal the enemy opened On us from swamp
to BAYOU. From The noise, the smoke and
the dust that followed, | should say that
there were fully twenty-five guns engaged
on their side. We were well in range; i'll
fact, believe that had they opened On us
half an hour sooner they would have done
better execution. As it was, as it generally
/, with distant artillery fire, most of their
IN ;ssi!es few high overhead.
One half of all the error and confusion
mat has arisen out of the discussions re-
lating to battles of this war proceeds from
The fact that soldiers will persist IN at
I.mptn5 to describe what they never saw
Tor heard personally. The area of almost
any battl. which the man W tn the muSket,
\ IL,
g a very limited o he, and SO it was ct Bis
Ind. The things that saw and heard
here l will describe; those that l neither
;aw nor leard, others may tell of. When
hat amazing uproar broke out far IN fr Mt
IF us, and the air seemed filled with things
mat Kissed. whistled, res ched, and
lummed, the line halted; the soldiers
stopped from intuition, without orders.
great n Is. BIZ ind us arose at the same
line, and l glanced back to see what it was.
saw that Carruths Massa 'hnsetts Battery
lad gallope up, and was Numbering ;nst
n our rear. At that instant one OF the
battery horses flew all to pieces, in way
hat seemed perfectly ineXplicabie. The
,nimal had been struck by II shell, and
| catt red in every direction. Right before
our line nm one of the great plantation
| litches, full seven feet deep. that cross
| his country. Soinebodv-l suppose it WIS
| General Weitzrl, our bri ade commanded
| vas he ,rd 10 shout above the tumult, "Let
| he infantry lie DOWN" We did not ne d
% be told twice. About three THOUSAND
| men got in'o that ditch with great prompt
| yess; and lying there for the next hour,
| ,gs. arms, muskets. and bodies i'll consid-
| Arable of tan,. lie. had Il fine opportunity
| lor reflection.
NV own thoughts ook ridiculous aspect
| Of the situation. | had wished to par
| ,icipate in battle. Just as all green
.oldiers do. l had pictured it all
| tut in my own mind how 1t would
| be-the great volleys OF muskesry that
| we should discharge. perhaps the bayonct-
| cha ge that we should make-the big things
we should do, generally. Well-here WI
were, in a baule-lying i'll a great ditch,
! while the artillery Of both sid was fight
ing over usl
Ny; expressions of that hour neel NOT
! be lengthy. Fifty pieces of cannon make
| great noise, and the continual bursting OF
| shells in the air, and hummin9 of round
| shot, give the thing variety, lut DO not
| lessen it any. The Captain of the battery
| lust behind us made about all thu noise
| himself that thought necessary, and con-
| tinually vel e AMI swore at his m1n, as
though they were not dong nli that men
could. BY and by | became conscious OF a
movement a on9 tho ditch on our right;
soldiers seemed to be climbing out; and,
correctly supposing that there were orders
| to do so, our officers repeated the order
| We got out on the same side that we got IN.
| 'Carruth's battery was limberinG up and
! going to the rear; we were orde,ed TO form
| line and follow We did so with some con-
fusion, the enemys balls still cutting the
air overhead, and one plowng mp the or
| uncomfortably near our left. re retire'I
lbout half mile over the fields and pre-
pared to bivouac for the night.
The first impression, that we had been in
n battle and got whipped, was soon dissi-
patel. We had m r,ly been "feeling" of
the enemy; had drawn their fire, developed
| ther position. and in the morning should
go back and open the fight in earnest.
Her. We lay i'll our bal'le;s all night, in
darIncss; fir,5 could lot be allowed in
| such a situation. ] recall two incidents OF
the time: One was the receil t of q large
mail, out of witch we were compelled to
read our letters from homa by the htful
Light of matches. The other was the adj
vent of stray mule, who came upon the
scene about nj lnig t, plobably searching
for forage; and the wrath and profanity he
provoked as he rambled around among the
ranks of Shoppers are vivid in my memory.
Just here l may mention case of cow
ardice occurring ut this battle. After we
had retired Lieutenant b was missing,
though he had been S, en- to leave the ditch.
He was not with us mt all the next day.
bu. o was heard of some days Ia er, far tc
tn > rear, with some Quarermasters train.
| He complained that he had been made en-.
tirely deaf by tat dreadful artillery. HI
was kindly allowed to resign.
The next morning the infantry was
marched up to about the position of the
night before, aud remained there all day.
merely supporting the guns. The Seven
to the swamp at the let, aud got position
| 4 l., 4. hut